Berkley schools seek 2 millage renewals

Voters in the Berkley school district will decide whether to renew two existing millages in Tuesday’s election.

The first is a millage that taxes only businesses and owners of second homes 18 mills for the district’s general operating fund.

Also known as a non-homestead millage, the tax brings in $3.1 million a year for Berkley schools.

“It’s a significant portion of the budget,” said Berkley Schools Superintendent Dennis McDavid. “We use the money for books, equipment, technology, salaries and everything we do.”

The 10-year non-homestead millage has been approved in past elections and McDavid expects it will be approved again Tuesday. The millage also is used by the state in calculating the amount of per-pupil spending in the district.

There are roughly 4,700 students in the districts who are funded at a rate of $7,727 each. Loss of the millage would mean about $600 less in spending on each student, school officials said.

The second millage renewal request is for the district’s sinking fund, which is a tax of 0.736 mills that raises about $635,000 annually.

The sinking fund millage is also a 10-year millage. The tax affects all homeowners in the district and is used for maintaining school buildings and facilities.

“The sinking fund millage is what we used to maintain and upgrade our facilities and can’t be used for salaries,” McDavid said.

The millage has been used in the past to fund projects such as Hurley Field track resurfacing and turf replacement, seating the high school auditorium, boiler repairs and new lockers, school officials said.

If the millage fails, schools officials said they would have to fund those kinds of expenses out of the district’s general fund, with a subsequent decline in spending for staff and programs.

Though the sinking fund isn’t due to expire until next year, district spokeswoman Jessica Stigler said the district decided to put both issues on the May 7 ballot to save money on the cost of holding a second election next year.

“We also wanted to be more efficient with voters’ time,” she said.

McDavid said the election is being done in May rather than last November to help voters focus on the millages involved.

“In November we had the (U.S.) presidential election and there were all kinds of proposals on the ballot,” he said. “It was a crowded ballot. We put both (millages) in one election so people didn’t feel we were rushing the (millages) onto the ballot.”

School officials point out that approval of the millages won’t increase the existing tax rate.

However, defeat of either or both of the millage renewal requests would result in a corresponding decrease in the tax rate.